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Because every portal follows the same fifteen-section outline, the comparison is genuinely like-for-like rather than a collage of whatever each government happens to publish.

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Comparison of selected legal systems
AttributeMonacoReviewedAustriaReviewedKazakhstanReviewed
Legal familyIdenticalCivil lawCivil lawCivil law
System of governmentConstitutional hereditary monarchyFederal parliamentary republicPresidential republic
ConstitutionConstitution of the Principality of MonacoBundes-Verfassungsgesetz (B-VG)Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan
In force since196219201995
CapitalMonacoViennaAstana
Official languagesFrenchGermanKazakh, Russian
CurrencyEuro (EUR)Euro (EUR)Kazakhstani tenge (KZT)
Population39,0009,100,00020,000,000
Division of powersA unitary state of about two square kilometres with a single commune. Legislative power is exercised jointly by the Prince and the National Council; executive power belongs to the Prince, exercised through the Minister of State and the Government Council; judicial power is delegated by the Prince to the courts, with the Tribunal Suprรชme acting as both constitutional and supreme administrative court.Nine Lรคnder hold their own constitutions, parliaments and governments, but the federation retains far more legislative power than in Germany or Switzerland; much Lรคnder activity is administering federal law (mittelbare Bundesverwaltung). Three separate high courts sit at the apex, for constitutional, administrative and ordinary matters respectively.Unitary. Seventeen regions (oblasts) and three cities of republican significance โ€” Astana, Almaty and Shymkent โ€” each headed by an akim appointed by the President. Local representative assemblies (maslikhats) have limited competence. Overlaid on this is the Astana International Financial Centre, a territorially delimited zone with its own court, arbitration centre, regulator and body of law that operates outside the national legal order.
How law is madeA bill may be initiated by the Prince or proposed by the National Council. Government bills are laid before the Council, examined in committee and voted; adoption requires the agreement of both the Prince and the Council. The Prince then promulgates the law by sovereign ordinance and it is published in the Journal de Monaco.Bills originate with the government, members of the Nationalrat, the Bundesrat or a popular initiative, and pass three readings in the Nationalrat. The Bundesrat may object but can normally be overridden. The Federal President authenticates the law, the Chancellor countersigns, and it is published in the Bundesgesetzblatt.Bills are introduced in the Mazhilis by deputies or the Government, and must pass the Mazhilis before going to the Senate. If the Senate rejects a bill it returns to the Mazhilis, and a joint commission may be convened. The President may veto, and an override requires two-thirds of each chamber. The President may also declare a bill urgent, requiring consideration within a month, and may issue decrees with the force of law where Parliament has delegated that power. Laws enter force ten days after official publication unless otherwise stated.
Legal professionA small bar of avocats-dรฉfenseurs, avocats and avocats stagiaires, organised as the Ordre des Avocats, with admission requiring Monegasque nationality preference, a law degree and a traineeship. French avocats may appear in specified circumstances. Notaries are appointed by sovereign ordinance and are few in number.A Rechtsanwalt qualifies through a law degree, five years of practical training including at least three in a law firm and some months at court, and the bar examination. Admission is via the regional bar chambers under the umbrella of the ร–sterreichischer Rechtsanwaltskammertag. Notaries are a separate profession with appointments limited in number.Advocates are licensed under the Law on Advocacy and Legal Assistance 2018, which introduced mandatory membership of regional bar collegia coordinated by the Republican Bar Association, and separated advocates from other legal-services providers who must register separately. Entry requires a law degree, an internship and a qualifying examination. Notaries are a distinct licensed profession whose involvement is compulsory for many real-estate and corporate transactions. Practitioners in the AIFC Court are registered separately and may be foreign-qualified.

A comparison table flattens nuance by design. Where a difference matters to a decision you are making, open both portals and read the section in full โ€” the constitutional detail behind a one-line summary is often the part that governs the outcome.